Chainless-wheel bicycle.



Patented lune 15,1900.

P. J. FHEIZE.

CHAINLESS WHEEL BICYCLE.

(No Model.)

No. 651,967. lmn'fedl .lune 19, |900. P. J". Fnelzs. CHAIN'LESS WHEEL BICYCLE.

(Apinicamn mea Nav. 12, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

@NSN .NR

17206725077: fateful 15h' Z6. g/liisorfzeg,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- PETER J. FREIZE, OF ROCKVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

CHAINLESS-WHEEL BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 651,967, dated J une 19, 1900.

Application led November l2, 1897. VSerial No. 658,227. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known-that I, PETER J. FREIZE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Rockville, in .the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chainless-Wheel Bicycles, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to that class of bicycles of the chainless-wheel type, one object of my present invention being to furnish, in connection with the driving-wheel of a bicycle, driving mechanism of an improved construction and organization, including reci procatory foot-levers and multiple-speed gearing operatively connecting said foot-levers with the driving-wheel, whereby reciprocatory movement of said levers will impart to the driving-wheel a rotary movement of high velocity with a minimum expense of footpower.

Further objects of my present invention,-

are to furnish a geared bicycle of the safety type in which the driving-wheel is actuated through the medium of foot-levers and connected multiple-speed gears and tol so construct and organize the constituent elements of the driving mechanism that the same will be subjected to the least possible friction and may be adjusted to take up wear, and also to provide, in connection with the foot-levers, means whereby an advancing movementof one lever willimpart a retractin g movement to the opposite lever. j

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a safety-bicycle embodying my presentimprovements. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the rear fork, showing the walking-beamand a portion of the rods which connect the foot-levers.' Figs. 3 and 4 are side and edge views, respectively, of one of the clip-plates of the geartrain-supporting bracket. Figs. 5 and G'are side and edge views, respectively, of the complementary clip-plate of said bracket. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal Section, partially in plan view, of that portion of the bicycle shown in Fig. 1, said sectionbeing taken on a line corresponding tothe dot-ted lineal a, Fig. 1, parts being broken away. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on a line corresponding with the line b b, Fig. 7, lookin g in the direction of the arrow and showing a portion of the driving-gear, clutch member, and the shaft, said ligure showing the clutch-pin sockets in the outer face thereof. Fig. 9 is an inner side view, on a smaller scale, of a portion of the foot-lever and the clutch member in connection therewith. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line corresponding to the dotted line c c, Fig. 7, and showing the clutch member fixed to this end of the power-wheel shaft,'which clutch member corresponds to the one shown in Fig. 8, with the exception that it does not constitute a part of the driving-gear. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the clutch member shown in Fig. 10, saidsection beingtaken on a line corresponding to the dotted line d d in said figure looking in the direction of the arrow; and Figs. 12 and 13 are diiferent side elevations of the clutch-pins which couple the two clutch members together.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the drawings only so much of the bicycle is shown as is deemed necessary to fully illustrate the construction, organization, and mode of operation of my present improvements.

Inasmuch as my present invention relates more particularly to driving mechanism for velocipedes, including improved supporting means for the driving-wheel, and as the same is applicable to machines of various types, it

` will be understood that it is not limited to any particular form of velocipede.

That portion of the frame of the bicycle shown in the accompanying drawings comprises the seat-post 2, lower reach 3,' rear fork F, and ,the'lower brace F', the fork F consisting, as usual, of two vertically-disposed parallel tubes or arms 4 and 5, which in practice will be connected together and to the seatpost 2 in any suitable manner, and the lower brace F' comprises two horizontally-disposed parallel tubes or arms, as 6 and 7 which are IOO . on the shaft between opposite ends, respec- Aof relatively-small diameter.

tively, of the hub of the drivin g-wheel W and the adjacent faces ofthe duplex bearing members .8 and 10; two clutch members (desigynated in a general way by c and c) respectively securcd upon the screw-threaded portions 13 and 13' of the shaft, adjacent to the arms 6 and 7 of the frame; two sets of balls 16 and 16', disposed between opposite ends of the wheel-.hub and the adjacent duplex take-up cones 14 and 15, respectively; two sets of balls 17 and 17, disposed between the outer cone-faces of the take-up cones and the adjacent faces of the ball-bearing members 8 and 10, respectively, and two sets of balls 18 vand '18', disposed between said bearing members and adjacent clutch members, respectively. l

For the purpose of actuating the drivingwheel I have provided in operative relation with the two clutch members c and c two complementary clutch members d and d loosely mounted upon opposite ends, respectively, of the shaft Fand held against movement longitudinally of said shaft, preferably by means of Vnuts 20 and 20', secured upon theopposite screwthreaded ends of said shaft. These clutch members are shown having a series of recesses 22 formed therein, which recesses are shown circular and concentrically disposed with relation to the axis of the shaft S and constitute seats or guideways .for clutch-pins 23, which are seated therein and are normally projected outward beyond the inner faces of the clutch member- Secured to the clutch members d andd are two foot-levers 26 and 27, respectively, atthe outer-forwardl ends of which are securedV pedal-rubbers 26 and 27. Carried upon one of the clutch members, as c, and preferably constituting an integral part thereof is a driving-gear 28, (shown as a spurwheel,) and carried by the driving-shaft hub is a pinion 31, This pinion and driving-gear are operatively connected together by a speed multiplying train of gears consisting of a pinion 29, meshing with the driving-gear 28, and a spur-wheel 30, carvternally-screw-threaded sleeve, in which are adjusiably screwed two v oppositely-disposed cupped bearing members l32 and 33, located between and adjustable with relation to the pinion 29 and spur-gear 30, balls being disposed between opposite bearin g members and vthe pinion 29 and spur-wheel 30 to support said spur-wheel and. pinion, as illustrated most clearly in. Fig. 7 of the drawings. v

The spur wheel 30 vis shown adj ustably mounted upon the screw-threaded rear end of the hub 29' of the pinion 29, and said-spurwheel and pinion serve as dust-guardsforthe bearing members 32 and 33.. The bearing members 32- and 33 may be adjusted longitudinally of the pinion-hub. to take up wear.

The bracket B is shown consisting of two clip members 34 and 35, having oppositelyinclined parti-circular grooves 34 and 35 at opposite ends, respectively, thereof for engaging around the' brace-arm 6 and one arm of the fork F, the two Vclip members 34 and 35 IOO being -secured together preferably by bolts and nuts 36and 37, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings.

As a means 'for facilitating a retractive movement of one foot-lever on the advancing movement of the other foot-lever I have provided, in connection with the rear fork F, a walking-beam 40,' pivotally supported upon a curved bar 41, connecting the two arms of said fork, to opposite ends of which walkingbeam are adj ustably secured two depending rods 42 and 43', the lower ends of which are connected to straps 44 and 45, fixed to the two levers 26 and 27,'respectively, the arrangement of the walking-beam and connecting-rods being such that when one of the 1evers is depressed the other lever will be elevated, and as a means for limiting the advancingmovements of the two levers 26 and 27 `I have provided, in Vconnection with the two arms 6 and 7 of the lower brace, stop devices 46 and 47, respectively, which have arms IIO said levers from said gearing when on the upstroke thereof, by reason of which construction I can secure both Vpower and speed and by the employment of aminimum number of gears.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a bicycle, the combination, With a frame, of a two-part bracket shaped at its ends to t the same, one of the parts ofA said bracket having an internally-threaded sleeve; ball-bearings threaded into said sleeve; a shaft passing loosely through said ball-bearings and having a pinion at one end and a large gear at the other end, said pinion and gear serving as dust-guards for the bearings; a driving-shaft havinga gearsecurcd thereto which intermeshes with said pinion; pawland-lever mechanism for actuating said driving-shaft a Wheel having ahub loosely mounted on the driving-shaft; and a pinion carried bysaid wheel-'hub and intermeshing with theV gear on the shaft mounted in the ball-bearings of the bracket. t

2. In a bicycle, the combination, with thel rearfork and lower brace thereof, of a twopart bracket clamped to said fork and an arm of said brace, one part of said bracket being provided with a Xed internally-screW-threaded sleeve; tWo oppositely-disposed cupped bearing members threaded into said sleeve; a shaft loosely mounted in said bearings and having a pinion at one end and a spur-Wheel at the other end serving as dust-guards for said bearings; balls between said spur-wheel and pinion and the cupped bearing members; a driving-shaft having a large spur-gear in intermeshing engagement with said pinion; a pedal-lever sleeved on said driving-shaft and provided with a series of recesses; clutchpins seated in said recesses and normally projected outward by springs therein, said pins being adapted to engage with corresponding sockets in the gear-wheel fixed to the driving-shaft; a second pedal-lever mounted on Vthe driving-shaft and having similarly-arranged clutch-pins adapted to engage with sockets 'in a complemental clutch member fixed to the driving-shaft; a Walking-beam and connections between the two pedal -levers; a driving-Wheel-having a hub loosely mounted on the driving-shaft; and a` pinion carried by said hub and intermeshing with the teeth of the spur-gear carried by the bracket.

PETER J. EREIZE;

Witnesses:

FEED. J DOLE,v WM. H. BLODGETT. 

